Aaron Naparstek

In the most recent issue of the Architect's Newspaper, Editor-in-Chief William Menking has some very enthusiastic things to say about the Grand Army Plaza Coalition's project, Rethinking Grand Army Plaza (download the proposal here) which was recently awarded a 2007-2008 Design Trust fellowship. Menking writes:

It looks like the street redesign around the Manhattan entrance of the Manhattan Bridge is nearing completion. Considering that Transportation Alternatives has been pushing for these fixes for years, that was pretty fast. DOT presented its plan to the local Community Board, to unanimous approval, in July; sketched out the lines on the street in August; and here we are.

Traffic Commission Looks at Taxi Stands, License Plate Rationing… (NYT, Sun) Mayor and Governor OK Fare Hikes (News) MTA Could Have Prevented Fare Hike With Increased Variable Tolls (MTR) Stand Clear of the Angry Editorials & Man-on-the-Street Interviewees (News) Quinn Says MTA Should “Heed” Brodsky’s “Offer” of State Funding (Daily Politics) Gore Accepts Nobel Prize. … Continued

London retailers enjoyed a £100 million spending spree as Oxford, Bond and Regents Streets were closed to motor vehicle traffic for a day

Despite fierce and prevalent Amtrak hating, and although I have yet to hear any presidential candidate discuss it, nationally syndicated columnist Neal Peirce suggests that "the stars are finally coming into alignment" for improvements of America's passenger rail system. He writes:

The entrance to the East Side Access work site in Sunnyside, Queens

 

Parking policy maven Donald Shoup will be on the Brian Lehrer show this morning, WNYC, 93.9 FM. He'll be delving into the question: Is on-street parking too cheap in Manhattan?

Pricing Foe Richard Lipsky Apparently Thinks Parking Should be Free Too (Post) Seattle Mayor Wants City Employees to Ride the Bus to Work (Planetizen) Monthly MetroCard to Rise From $76 to $81. More Hikes Coming (NYT, News) Charter Bus Kills 72-Year-Old Cyclist in Midtown (News) Complete Streets Movement Gaining Momentum Nationwide (NUN) Oil-Rich Nations Using … Continued

If you're a New York City transportation policy geek but you've had enough of congestion pricing realpolitik and can't bear to sit through another Kathy Wylde vs. Walter McCaffrey slugfest, Monday evening's New School panel may be just the ticket. Equal Tolls, Unequal Access? Congestion Pricing and Its Historical Antecedents brings together an unusual group of academic experts and urban design practitioners to examine urban boundary-making through the ages. New School professor Gustav Peebles has written the following article for Streetsblog: